The present invention relates to a conveying apparatus such as a chip conveyor.
A conveying apparatus, for example, a chip conveyor, includes a circulating conveyor belt. The conveyor belt carries chips formed during operation of machine tools. The conveyor belt is endless and has a plurality of rollers attached to peripheral edges on each side thereof at predetermined intervals. The chip conveyor has a casing enveloping the conveyor belt. A pair of bearing rails extending along the conveyor belt are fixed by means of welding or the like to the inner surfaces of the casing at locations opposite to the peripheral edges of the conveyor belt, respectively. The rollers attached to the conveyor belt are born by the bearing rails. The conveyor belt is circulated as the rollers roll over the bearing rails.
The bearing rails are independent from the casing. Thus, the number of components is increased, and an operation is required to fix the bearing rails to the casing by means of welding or the like. This not only increases the number of operation steps in the manufacture of the conveyors and complicates the manufacture but also increases the manufacturers"" cost.
The present invention was accomplished to solve the problems described above, and it is an objective of the present invention to provide a conveying apparatus that can be manufactured easily and inexpensively.
In order to attain the above objective, the conveying apparatus according to the present invention is provided with an endless conveyor belt for feeding a material to be treated. The conveyor belt is contained in a casing and is able to circulate therein. Supporting members for supporting the conveyor belt are located within the casing. The conveyor belt circulates along the supporting members. The supporting members are formed integrally with the casing.
In the present invention, the supporting members are formed integrally with the casing. In other words, some portions of the casing serve as the supporting members. Thus, the number of components can be reduced compared with the case where the supporting members are formed independent from the casing, and there is no need for fixing the supporting members to the casing by means of welding and the like. This reduces in the number of operation steps in the manufacture of the conveying apparatus, facilitates the manufacture, and reduces the manufacturers"" cost.